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Love at First Sight
Aaron and JaRel were celebrating the 27th birthday of their beloved friend, Preston Mitchum. Aaron approached JaRel to buy him a drink. Oblivious to the fact that Aaron was hitting on him, JaRel politely declined. That didn't stop the determined Aaron from asking 20 minutes later. JaRel finally gave in. To be honest, the rest of the night is a blur for both of them, but they think they had a great time! -
First Date: La Tasca
The new couple took a stroll down to Old Town Alexandria to grab a bite to eat. Aaron suggested a place next door to La Tasca, but the live music and dancers pulled them away. They didn't realize that the two places were connected until they received our entrées and were greeted by flamenco dancers. All in all, the first date went great, and the two continued on their journey. -
Cinco de Mayo at Georgetown
Aaron, JaRel, and their beloved friend, Preston, attended Georgetown University's annual Cinco de Mayo party. Anyone who knows Aaron and JaRel know they will not turn down a "party with a purpose" - especially one that has a margarita machine! Every year, Georgetown's School of Continuing Studies hosts an end-of-the-year party to celebrate a successful year of success and achievement. -
"Chocolate City" Pride 2013
Aaron and JaRel spent untold amounts of money getting the perfect outfits from stores at Pentagon City Mall. The night started with Lime-A-Rita's, UBER rides, meeting new friends, and anxiously waiting to see Brandy perform at LOVE Nightclub. The night ended in lost keys and phones, ruined shirts and shoes, and hard decisions to make. Needless to say, Chocolate City Pride 2013 was definitely a defining moment in the evolving relationship! -
Their First Place
When they first started dating, Aaron lived in Alexandria, VA, and JaRel lived in Annapolis, MD. The distance didn't last too long, and it certainly made the heart grow fonder. After weeks of searching and debating, Aaron and JaRel decided to move to Silver Spring, MD. -
Summer Crab Feast
It's no secret that Aaron has a mild obsession with crab legs, so much so that the couple owns two huge pots solely for steaming crab legs. Aaron and JaRel quickly held their housewarming and first of several crab leg feasts two days after moving in together. -
The "Forever Hoyas" Party
Aaron helped JaRel celebrate two hard years of work and studying to earn his master's degree from Georgetown University. Friends, former colleagues, and classmates came to celebrate. Aaron stole the show with his dance moves, while JaRel received the "bartender of the year" award by his colleagues. By now, the couple had become known for throwing a great party! -
Noble Comes Home
JaRel grew up not liking (and being terrified of) dogs. But after some convincing by Aaron and tons of self-coaching, the couple took to the classifieds to find a puppy most suitable for a one-bedroom apartment. They settled on the name "Noble," and almost immediately, the couple welcomed the one-month-old Jack-Chi (Jack Russell / Chihuahua mix) into their home. -
Made in America 2013
To kick off Aaron's "30 Days to 30" birthday celebration, JaRel suggested taking Aaron to the Made in America Festival in Philadelphia. After hearing that Beyoncé, Miguel, and Kendrick Lamar would be performing there, it didn't take too much convincing. In fact, JaRel quickly learned that he had Aaron at "Beyoncé." -
LGBT Night at King's Dominion
The couple and Noble took their first "road trip" to King's Dominion for its Annual Gay and Lesbian Night sponsored by Brother, Help Thyself. The night was filled with laughter, surprises, meeting new friends, and winning Aaron two stuffed animals. Well, JaRel only won one animal. The other was given out of sympathy of him losing a basketball game (surprise, surprise). ♪ - I Love You Like XO - ♪ -
Beyoncé Concert in San Juan, PR
Aaron's "30 Days to 30" ended with a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico to celebrate his 30th birthday with April, Kim, and of course, Beyoncé. The bands pictured on the left allowed Aaron to touch Beyoncé's hand at the concert. -
Aaron's 30-to-30
JaRel thought it would be a great idea to celebrate Aaron's 30th birthday with gifts, friends, and Beyoncé. For 30 days, Aaron saw Beyoncé twice, had near-unlimited Ciroc, and received dinners and gift cards to his favorite restaurants including Ruth's Chris, Medium Rare, Chipotle, and Dunkin Donuts. -
Janelle Monaé in Philly
Janelle Monaé is one of JaRel's favorite artists, so he was bummed out when her DC concert sold out within minutes. Aaron surprised him with tickets to the Philadelphia show which just so happened to be the same weekend as a gay festival in Philly and the weekend before Aaron went back to work from his 2-month vacation. To top it off, Shannon Ammon (Aaron's best friend from Washington College of Law), let the couple stay at her apartment in the middle of Philly's Gayborhood. -
Christmas in North Carolina
The couple decided that since JaRel's family is big on Thanksgiving and Aaron's family is big on Christmas, they would celebrate Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh and Christmas in North Carolina. -
NYE 2014
To JaRel, bringing in the new year with people who mean a great deal to you will set the tone and stage for the year to come. The couple decided to bring in the new year with some of their closest friends in Washington, DC. -
The Engagement
JaRel laid in the bed reflecting on the past year and how happy he's been with Aaron. On the other hand, Aaron wasn't feeling to well, so he took some Benadryl and laid down for the evening. JaRel turns on John Legend's "All of Me" and sits Aaron down in the couple's office chair in the living room. As tears rolled down JaRel's face, he asked Aaron for his hand in marriage. Pausing for a minute, looking at the ring and back at JaRel, Aaron said, "of course, babe!"
